Raymond’s wedding

On the morning of the 18 of March 2006 11:15am I found myself in the Church of St Mary of the Angels. It was one of those rare occasions that I got invited to a Catholic wedding with the Sacrament of Matrimony. This time it was Raymond’s wedding, one of my Choice weekend friend and my Choice group use to call him “Honorary Member” as he use to join our group discussions. After a year plus of courting he and is girlfriend Nancy decided to marry. I don’t know much about Nancy but the impression that she gives me is that she is a very strong will person (from the inside).

As for the best man… well it was none other then our dear brother Eugene (who was preparing for the first reading when I reach the church). The celebrant of the ceremony was Father John Paul Tan (Fr JP).

The readings for the wedding were:
1st Reading: Genesis 2:18-24
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Gospel: John 15:9-12

Fr JP gave an interesting homily. He mentions that as human there are two basic things the God calls us to. That is the call to love and life. We are call to love and life once we are conceived in our mother’s womb. Love is in service of life. As a couple one has to ask how can I make my other half a fuller and better person? … How can I complete my spouse?

I guess these questions pose are an interesting thing as few months back at the beginning of the year, I was trying to lookup on advices and articles on courtship as I was planning ask a friend out on a date and ask whether she would be interested in a more than normal type friendship (well basically you can call that starting a courtship although not many of my friends will say that). Due to the lack of articles on courtship at that time I had turn to articles written on marriage for couples and there one interesting article written by Fr. Peter deSousa (Redemptorist priest from Mumbai) titled New Beginnings which talks about a couple life getting into routine and how one has to rediscover his/her spouse & children. There is a part where he touches on courtship and the issues similar relating to the questions of Fr JP, as below:

“In courtship one is open to learn, listen and discover who your partner is. He or she does not have to conform to your expectations, but rather complements and challenges you to grow and develop your potentialities as a person, with the encouragement of someone who cares. In a good marriage, this will continue.”

So in courtship other then finding out whether we are right for each other, the other aspect is to encourage and complement one another. So this an interesting area being nurtured since the season of courtship and all the more needed in marriage life.

As a single and not in any relationship ( hei! Wait a minute… what happen your friend that you plan and wanted to court?... well she has other plans for her life at this point of time… and I guess it is God’s way of telling me that I’m not ready for courtship at this point of time).

Ok, now as a single this call to love and life… which I felt ministering to me during the wedding, is how can I serve the people around me, my love ones, my friends, the ministry that I’m helping out (Choice, Mission trips,...) and my career vocation. I guess I have to ask myself how can I help and show my care better to my parents?, how can I better help and courage my friends to be better person? How can I help the ministries that I’m involve with the little time I have? , How can I help myself in my current career which I see not much of a future in it and the joy of it is fading? And how can I be a better man?

I believe these questions will be a common thing that is in me and my single friends will also have to face. With hope, with faith, with prayer and God’s help we will be able to find a way to them in this fast pace life and world.

As Raymond and Nancy start their journey as a husband and wife taking on the challenges that comes their way and growing as a couple and as a family which show the Oneness of God just like He does in the Oneness in the Trinity (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit), I wish them that the faith, hope and love of God will be with them always. And I dedicate the below John Lennon song to them:

Grow Old With Me
Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one
God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love

Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end

Grow old along with me
Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

God Bless! Both of you.